After Every Storm
by Saraceaser
Summary: Milithinal and Galiwyth are the Leaders of Clan Paladin, and this is their story. (One-Shot, just something I wrote, because I find them so cute together. Happy Valentines Day!)


**FlightRising... Just something new I've gotten into. Anyways, this is a one shot of how my Progen, a Guardian named Galiwyth, and my Progenitor, a Mirror named Milithinal, came to start my Clan.**

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The sky, clouded by the increasingly dark void of the oncoming storm, the foreboding rain falling from the restless mist. Swirls of cloud could be seen high in the sky as the Dragons of the Sunbeam Ruins hurried home, carrying their newly bought items back to their Lairs, preparing themselves for the unnaturally harsh storm. As lightning flashed across the sky, a lone figure flew towards the strong rain. The lightning flashed again, revealing the figure of the female Dragon against the black sky.

The sleek figure, steely gray, made her yellow eyes glow against her face, though the brightness was dimmed in pain. The wings of the Mirror Dragon was forest green, her wings flapping against the gale and gusts in unguarded fervor. The rain, falling heavily in a harsh cold manner, felt soothing to the Mirror's tear streaked face, numbing the fiery darkness raging within her.

The Dragon, flying head long into the storm without a care, would have kept going until... _Flash!_ The lightning of the storm struck in the fleetest of moments, but the Dragon couldn't care, welcoming the approaching darkness. Free falling, the last thing the Mirror saw before she was swallowed by the void was a sudden a streak of blue and purple before the world went dark.

OooOooO

"...Nnn..."

Light filled the closed eyes of the Dragon, waking her slowly as confusion dripped away for her to be aware of her surroundings. She lay, curled, on a soft bed of creamy silk. The soft and warm silk felt soothing to the Mirror's cold, gray body. The soft light and warmth caused her to sigh in relief, almost falling back to peaceful sleep. But before she fell asleep, a thought struck her. She quickly sat up, albeit a bit painfully, causing her to cringe slightly.

"You're awake," a masculine but kind voice said. The Mirror looked up to see a large Guardian in the arch of the small Lair room. He stepped closer, giving her a chance to measure the newcomer. He was very muscular, but relatively smaller than other Guardians. When he looked down at where she lay, she noticed that he was still a young Dragon. His bright blue scales that covered his lean body contrasted his purple wings, His eyes glowing a warm yellow, standing out against the stern but not unkind face. She warily watched him to see if he was hostile, but he never stepped closer and didn't seem to be threatening her, which gave her a chance to look around the room.

The room she was in was very plain, but clean and neat, the design a common sight in the Sunbeam Ruins. What little furnishing there was had the most simplest of decor, mainly just being the small bedding she laid upon and a small bed-side stone table. The room looked to have been newly cleaned, and she saw that the light filtered in from the semi-transparent window panes, giving the whole room a warm and cozy feel.

She glanced back at the Guardian. He walked over to one of the windows and pushed it open carefully with his claws. The light, bright from the new day's sun, caused his entire body to be bathed in it, making his scales glow. She watched him as he closed the window again, but this time leaving it cracked open a bit, letting in a small stream of continuous light and a small breeze. He glanced at her sideways before he walked back through the archway. She got up to follow him, but then found her left wing, covered in bandages, hurt greatly as she tried fruitlessly to refold them, and in the end had to let it hang down uselessly at her side.

"Don't," he called from the next room, out of sight. The Mirror huffed, but not having the strength to get up, she collapsed back on the bed in annoyed defeat. A moment later, the Guardian reappeared with bundle of silk hanging from his teeth. He walked up close to her, but not too close. Then he slowly dipped his head, laying the bundle on the ground. When he let it go, the bundle unfolded to reveal a variety of meat. The Mirror looked at it in surprise before glancing up at the Guardian.

"Eat. To regain your strength," He simply told her as he walked back out. She watched him go till he rounded a corner and his tail disappeared behind it. She carefully leaned down to take a piece, her eyes kept firmly on the doorway, her inner cautious instincts warning her this may be a trap. Her suspicion quickly disappeared, however, when she tasted the juicy and succulent meat, and she started to eat up all of it in joyful haste. She had just finished the last piece when she heard a chuckle. She looked up and saw the Guardian standing in the doorway, another silken bundle in his teeth, a small smirk evident on his lips.

"You're very underweight. Now I know why," he simply said after levying the silk down, revealing more meat. She looked at it in anticipation, but glanced at him, a mix of suspicion and gratitude on her face. He began to walk away before she asked him a question, causing him to pause.

"Why are you so kind to me? You've never met me before," She asked him, watching his reaction. He looked back at her, his yellow eyes glowing in thought before he answered her.

"Because you're hurt," he finally said, turning back. The Mirror frowned at this.

"Only because I'm injured?" She more stated than asked. He stopped again, but this time he didn't look at her as he still faced forward.

"You're hurt in more ways than one." He then left her to her own thoughts.

OooOooO

"Will you at least tell me your name if nothing else?" The Mirror asked him. They were both in the Library, reading a few of the many books that covered the walls along with interesting trinkets here and there. The Mirror had been pestering the Guardian the entire time with questions, but with his quiet and secretive nature, she hasn't been able to get a single answer from him yet. This time also seemed to be a silent answer, but to her surprise, he spoke.

"...Galiwyth." He said after a beat of silence, his eyes glued to the book open before him. The Mirror looked at him, observing him in quiet interest.

"Galiwyth? Interesting name. I kind of like it," she told him. This caused him to look at her, mild surprise in his eyes before he could try to suppress it. She just smiled back at his expression, feeling unexplainably happy. After looking at her for a moment, he abruptly turned his head back to the book, his face taking on the stern look he got whenever he was thinking deeply about something.

"...Why were you alone?" Galiwyth finally asked after a while. They were both again absorbed in their books, so it took a moment for her to process the question.

"Oh, you mean why I'm by myself instead of a Clan with other Mirror Dragons?" She asked back. The Guardian nodded, looking at her sideways. She thought for a moment, her smile escaping her lips as a foggy cloud floated across her eyes. But just as quickly, her smile reappeared as if it was never gone, if albeit a bit more sadly now.

"I… I'm not cut out for that sort of thing," She finally got out, choosing her words carefully, turning her focus to one of the windows, watching the sunlight dance across the ground. "So I thought that it would be best that if I left; I didn't want to burden them after all," she finished with a careless shrug, but the tone in her voice clearly showed she was holding back something. But Galiwyth just hummed and went back to reading his book, seeming not to take notice as Milithinal letting out a sigh of relief, happy he dropped the topic.

"...I always wondered something," Milithinal brought up after another few seconds of silence. Galiwyth turned to her, his eyes prompting her to continue.

"Where's your Charge? All Guardian Dragons have one, right?" The Mirror asked sincerely, tilting her head as she looked up to the bigger Dragon. He was silent for a few seconds before he finally answered, not looking at her directly.

"...Haven't found one." The far away look in his eyes caused a strange sensation in her chest, causing her to want to say something, anything, but she remained silent. She lapsed into her own thoughts, the air now seeming to be weighted like many stones bearing down on them.

"...What's yours?" The Mirror's thoughts broke at his sudden question, causing her to look up.

"Hmm?"

"Your name," Galiwyth explained. Again she smiled at him, relieved that the heavy atmosphere had subsided.

"Oh, my name is Milithinal," she said.

"Milithinal... Pretty name for a beautiful Dragon," Galiwyth said quietly, still looking at his book, but tilted his head away so she couldn't see his face. Though he said it quietly, she still caught part of it. When she leaned over to his face, she saw that his cheeks were slightly purple in color. At first she thought he was sick, but then realized what it really meant.

"Are you...embarrassed?" She asked, surprise in her voice. He didn't answer her, but his cheeks grew all the more purple, almost magenta in color. This caused Milithinal to smile at this new discovery.

"You are embarrassed! There's no need to be, you know," she said a little teasingly. He only grumbled as she chuckled in that bright, sunlit room.

OooOooO

Many weeks have passed since Milithinal came to live with Galiwyth. As time went on, her injuries from her past were slowly forgotten and healed as she got to know the blue Guardian.

Despite her initial thought of him being just a quiet Dragon, she learned much about and from him. They would talk late into the night about many things, from what they read in books to their own life stories, though there were many things Milithinal kept from her new found companion.

She learned that he's the only child of two Guardian Dragons that both died before he hatched from being caught in the crossfire of warring Dragon Clans. She came to know many things that he dreamed and aspired to, as well many of his regrets.

Though she did tell him a bit about her life and dreams of the future, she still couldn't get herself to tell Galiwyth why she flew into the storm that night, but she was grateful that he never pushed her for an answer. But despite being more than grateful for all he's done for her, her guilt kept eating at her, though she promised herself to never tell him her true feelings.

As time went on however, despite the seemingly endless kindness Galiwyth always showed her, Milithinal couldn't help but feel more and more of being nothing but a trouble to him. Whenever he goes out hunting, She always would want to go with him, but he would never allow her because of her injured wing. Even after it had almost completely healed, he still wouldn't let her come with him, saying it was too dangerous. Even with her injured status, the more she spent with the generous and kind Galiwyth the more the guilt grew, especially since he never asked for her to do anything in return.

After a time, the guilt grew too much for her to bear. _I can't stay here, being such a useless freeloader,_ she thought bitterly. When he went to go hunting that day, she decided it was time to leave. But, whenever she thought of leaving this warm and bright place, her chest ached in a foreign way she never felt before.

Determination and guilt driving her forward, she ignored the pain pulsing from her chest, grabbing a small square of parchment and writing carefully, trying her best to ignore the tears swelling in her eyes. When she finished, she carefully placed the letter on her bed. Knowing he would be back soon, she walked over to her window and carefully opened it.

She stepped into the window sill, looking out into the starry evening, the sun below the horizon causing rays of purple to pierce through the clouds. Her wing, almost completely healed except for a slight pain from long flights, spread wide open with the other wing also opened wide. She felt the cool breeze on her face, so much different from the night she first came to be at this warm place. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at the empty Lair, still filled with warmth.

"Goodbye," she whispered before turning back to the sky. She lifted her wings and took off, but though she knew it was for the best, she couldn't help but feel a piercing pain in her chest as she flew into the night, tears dripping like fallen stars.

OooOooO

"Milithinal?" Galiwyth called as he rounded the corner to her room, wondering why the Lair seemed so empty. In his mouth he carried a silk bundle containing meat he got from the Training Fields earlier that day. When he walked into her room, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed that the Mirror Dragon was missing. He looked around swiftly, and before he went to check the rest of the Lair, he noticed a piece of parchment on her bed. He walked over to it cautiously, fearing the worst. On it, it read:

" _Dearest Galiwyth,_

 _Thank you so much for all you have done for me. You have done much more for me then I could ever repay in these last few weeks. Though I have spent many hours with you, I have come to terms with my suppressed darkness, and very regretfully I can't stay any longer, as being a burden to you is something I have come to fear. I hope you will forget about me. Enlarge your Clan with your ever caring nature, and please don't think of me. Please?_

 _With much more gratitude then I could ever show,_

 _Milithinal_ "

He swung his head to the open window, looking out to the darkness of night, the moon light's rays falling to the floor of the small cold room.

OooOooO

"Ahh!"

The cry rang out into the night. The Dragon backed up, her still injured wing hung limply at her side as she held a claw to her chest where a scratch was visibly red against her gray body. Closing in were a group of feral creatures and monsters. The leader of the pack and the one who injured her stepped closer, the others circling around her. She backed up till she felt the bark of a large tree on her back.

 _Is this it?_ She thought as more and more of the vicious creatures stepped closer. The leader raised his claws for the final blow. She closed her eyes in anticipation, waiting for the strike. But instead of feeling the hit, she heard something startling. A furious roar echoed through the woods, causing all to look up. Descending from the sky, she saw in surprise the outline of a Guardian's wings and head, yellow eyes glowing out from the shadow.

All the creatures, scared from the second Dragon's appearance and sudden entrance, quickly scattered as they retreated into the trees. Milithinal stayed where she was, however, as she felt the gash on her chest bleed, but didn't take her eyes off of the Guardian as he landed.

When he touched down, he scanned the trees carefully before looking at her. She flinched slightly, her ear fins flattening slightly against her head as he stepped closer. When he was directly in front of her, she closed her eyes fearfully. But instead of anything bad, she was stunned when he did nothing.

When she looked up in confusion, her heart pulsed in pain. He stood in front of her, but instead of the warm yellow of his eyes she was so used to, they were dimmed from pain and betrayal. Before she could say something, anything, he turned his back on her. She watched him in heavy silence as he lifted his wings. But before he could take off, she found her voice.

"Wait!" She said, desperation lacing her voice. He paused, but wouldn't turn to look at her. She continued on in rushed pain and regret.

"Galiwyth, I'm sincerely sorry! I never meant to hurt you like this. I-I just never wanted to be a burden to you, so I left, because I thought it would be better this way!" She cried, staggering as she stood up. As she spoke, he slowly turned to look at her, folding his wings slightly. "It's just that, I couldn't bare to lose someone else who was important to me! I just couldn't..." She whispered the last part, tears falling unchecked. She looked down, her grey head hanging from all her pent up emotions she kept locked in her heart. But, before she fell into despair, she was quite surprised to feel gentle claws lift her up in a sweet, gentle princess hold, her broken wing carefully folded as he held her.

When she looked up in surprise and confusion, she was stunned when she saw the most gentle smile on his face as he looked down at her before concentrating back on the sky. He lifted his wings, beating strongly yet gently as he took into the air. Despite her many questions, he never spoke as they passed over the moonlit land, and the two fell into silence as he smoothly flew into the night.

"I never thought of you as a burden." Milithinal looked up, eyes wide. The Guardian stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her. "And, you're not the only one scared of losing someone important, for every Guardian has a Charge to protect." he stated, still looking ahead. She lay there in his arms, shocked at what he just revealed. Before she could say anything, he glanced at her with that same gentle smile, his yellow eyes glowing warmly. After a moment, she smiled too in warm, loving defeat, and it was a defeat she was most definitely willing to take.

"I guess we both have someone important to protect," she said softly, her eyes closed as she fell into the first deep and peaceful sleep she had in a very long time. Galiwyth just kept silent, the same smile on his face as he reached their Lair and home.

The end. 3

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 **Hope you enjoyed! Honestly, this was my first time writing anything romantic, like ever, so I hope it turned out good? Anyways, thanks for reading! (Oh, and Light Flight is the best, just saying~)**


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